Improvement in devices for preventing railway axles from heating



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Pgtented Sep. 5.1871,

'iin assets* 'All Ima/u) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARCHIBALD B. TRIPLER, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN DEVICES FUR PREVENTING RAILWAY AXLES FROM HEATING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 118,760, datedSeptember 5, 1871 autedated August 19, 1871.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARCHIBALD B. TRIPLER, of New Orleans, in the parishof Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and useful Methodof Preventing Railroad Axles from Heating; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing` had to the accompanying drawing ofthe same which makes part ofthis specification, and in which- Figure l represents a vertical sectionof a rail-V road-car truck embracing my improvements. Fig.

2 represents a cross-section at the line a; m of Fig. l. Fig. 3represents a similar section at the line 0 o of Fig. 1, showing amodification of my invention.

This invention relates to a method of increasing the safety ofrailroad-car axles; and it consists in making the axle with a centralopening, which is intersect-ed by a small opening at or near the middleof its length, so as to put the central opening in communication with awater and air-supply tank for the purpose of using either separately, orboth combined, as a means of cooling the axle, and in producing acirculation of such cooling means through the axle by the, runningmotion of the car When the opening ofthe axle is unobstructed, or, whensuch open ing is closed at each end of the axle, producing suchcirculation of Water by means of the action of the heat generated in theaxle.

In the accompanying drawing, the axle A is represented as having acentral opening, a, drilled therein, from one end to the other, ofsuitable diameter. This opening is intersected at or near the middle ofthe length of the axle by a radial opening, b, which opens communicationfrom the surface of the interior of the axle. This communication is forthe purpose of allowing a stream of both water and air, or eitherseparately, to be introduced into and through said axle to prevent itfrom getting heated Within the journal-box. The method of introducingthe cooling agents consists in having a water-tank, B, secured to thetruck C above the axle, and a water-tight jacket, D, to inclose thatpart of the axle containing the radial opening, leaving a space betweenit and said axle. The tank and jacket are united by a yielding orflexible connection, c, so as to render their junction water-tight andallow the latter to conform to any irregularity in the motion orvibration of theaxle. The water from the tank passes therefrom by asmall tube, c1,in to the jacket when the cars are in motion, so that theportion of the axle inclosed by the jacket rcvolves in water, and thereceiving-opening b of the axle being within the jacket, the air andWater will pass into said opening b, and into and out of the centralopening a at every revolution of the axle, which must necessarily keepits journals from becoming unduly heated. The tank B may be suppliedwith water from a'hose, E, connected therewith and to the tender of thetrain; or by a pipe, F, leading from the water-cooler Within each car,whereby the waste Water is utilized; or the tanks may be supplied ih anyother suitable and convenient way, and the tank of each axle may beconnected with each other by a suitable pipe, e, so' that one tank maybe supplied from another. The air is conducted into the tank and throughthe axle by means of openings in that part of the tank which forms thejunction with the jacket, as shown in Fig. l. These openings areprovided with air-gatherers or hoods i, arranged so as to gather the airwhile the car is in motion, and force it within the jacket and throughthe central opening of the axle. These openings are also provided withvalves a, arranged so that the one which is fronting the direction inwhich the car is moving will be constantly kept open by the pressure ofthe air from without, while the other will be constantly kept closed bythe pressure of the air within the case or jacket. By this meansa'coustant stream of both air and water is forced into and through thecentral opening of the axle at the same time.

In warm seasons the combined use of these cooling agents may be bothuseful and desirable with axles open at both ends 5 but in cold seasons,when water would be liable to freeze, I retain the water within the axleand thus prevent it from freezing. p

In Fig. 2 of the drawing the central opening of the axle is representedas being open at both ends; but it is obvious that it may be closed atone end, and the air and water forced into and out of it at one endonly. My invention also embraces the use of a hollow axle closed at bothends, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to retain the Water as the cooling agentwithin its central opening and its supply-tank, instead of allowing itto pass therefrom. Under this modication of my liseo ing is closed by ascrew-tap, G, or other device,

It is obvious that when the Water is inclosed Within the axle, it willabsorb, to a greater"or lesser extent, the heat of the axle, and thus becaused to expand and force itself from the axle through thesupply-opening. In this process the Y colder Water oni the tankrwilldescend and take Y the place of the heated Water. The Water in the tankis prevented from retaining the heat by the cooling effect of the airintroduced in the tank.

Having described my invention, I claiml. A railroad-car axle, having acentral opening, intersected at or near the middle of its length by aradial receiving-opening, b, in combination with a Water-tank andair-valves or gatherers, i,

the latter opening and closing automatically to receive the air alone asthe cooling agent, or as a motor to drive the Water-through said centralopening, in the manner and for the purpose described.

2. A water or air-receiver, constructed with air-gatherers t' and valvesn or their equivalent, arranged to receive and conduct air into andthrough the central opening a of the axle by the motion of the caritself, as described.

3. The central opening a of the axle, sealed or closed at each endthereof, and communicating with a supply-tank centrally located, so asto produce and maintain a continuous circulation of the cooling agentWithin the axle, in the manner essentially as described.

4. lhe combination of an axle, A, constructed vwith longitudinal andradial openings a b, as described, the jacket D, the tank B, and theconnecting supply-pipes, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

A. B. TRIPLER.. Witnesses:

A. E. H. J oHNsoN, CEAS. E. UPPERMAN.

